If you just picked up Quarantine Zone: The Last Check from Brigada Games and Devolver Digital, there is a good chance you are staring at the main menu wondering where to start.
If you want a story with consequences and an actual ending, go with Campaign Mode. If you are more into raw challenge and seeing how long you can survive just to climb a leaderboard, Endless Mode is for you.
Campaign Mode: Structured Survival with a Finish Line
Campaign Mode is the main way to play if you are new. It walks you through the mechanics at a steady pace and has an actual arc, both in terms of difficulty and story. You are not only checking IDs, but you’re also running a checkpoint in the middle of a pandemic, and every day the pressure increases.
This mode throws you into specific missions and forces you to make moral decisions that can change how things play out. Do you keep a survivor alive, or do you send them into testing to unlock permanent upgrades for your base?
The pacing gives you space to get used to mechanics like armed drones and base defenses as your survivor population starts to grow. It is the best mode to learn the core loop: observe first, test second. You can make mistakes and still recover.
Endless Mode: No Limits, No Safety Net
Once you finish the Campaign or feel confident in your skills, Endless Mode strips away the structure and leaves you with pure survival. There is no story to follow and no end goal. The difficulty ramps up fast, and eventually, your systems will fail.
Endless Mode is all about efficiency. You are pushing for high scores, tracking survival days, and trying to outlast your last run. Taking a bribe might get you some short-term resources, but it can ruin your run in the long term. Ammo, fuel, testing protocols, base layout, everything stacks. One bad call and the consequences snowball fast. This is the mode most streamers and leaderboard grinders live in. Because of the procedural generation, no two runs are exactly alike.
Side by Side: Campaign Mode vs Endless Mode
Still unsure which mode to pick? Here is a clear comparison:
- Objectives: Campaign has set missions and a clear ending. Endless keeps going until you fail.
- Difficulty: Campaign starts easy and gets harder in stages. Endless just keeps ramping up until it breaks you.
- Time: Campaign is manageable in sessions. Endless can last hours if you are good.
- Best For: Campaign suits story-focused or casual players. Endless fits high-score chasers and veterans.
- Rewards: Campaign gives you story payoffs and upgrades. Endless gives you Steam Achievements and personal bests.
Whichever mode you choose, the core gameplay systems are the same. You are inspecting people, scanning bodies, and deciding who gets through your checkpoint. Observation is your first tool. Look for signs like limping, shaking, or unusual pupils before doing anything else.
You also have to manage your base. Fuel the generator or lose power. No power means no turrets or lights. Ammo is limited, so do not waste it. Use handguns for single threats and save the big guns for actual hordes.
Community and Replay Value
Since launch on January 12, 2026, the game has earned Mostly Positive reviews on Steam. A lot of the discussion revolves around Endless Mode and how long people can survive during the Night Shift. Visibility drops, panic rises, and it becomes much easier to let something slip through.
Players share tips, base layouts, and upgrade paths. Power Capacity is often the first upgrade most players recommend. You will also see plenty of debate over whether to accept bribes or always run a clean checkpoint. Some players are chasing high scores. Others are just trying to stay alive one more day.
What Kind of Game Is This
Quarantine Zone: The Last Check is a mix of survival sim and checkpoint manager. It feels like a mashup of Contraband Police and Papers, Please, but with a heavy infection angle. Brigada Games aimed to build something that feels like a job during the collapse of society. There is strategy, but also daily routine.
Campaign vs Endless Mode in Quarantine Zone: Which One Should You Play First
If you are new, start with Campaign Mode. It will help you spot the difference between someone who is scared and someone who is about to turn. You will learn why it is usually smarter to reject a bribe. You will understand the systems without being overwhelmed.
Once you know what to look for and when to pull the trigger, Endless Mode becomes a real test. You will last longer, and your runs will start to feel less like experiments and more like war stories. Both modes are worth your time, but they are built for different types of pressure.